LaRocca's high hopes realized downstate
CHARLESTON - What Palatine senior Jake LaRocca had only dreamt about became an amazing reality on Saturday in the boys track and field state meet finals at O'Brien Field on the Eastern Illinois University campus.
LaRocca completed his season of dominance in the pole vault, clearing 16 feet and winning the event for the first time in his school's storied track history.
"It was like a silly dream of mine to win state," LaRocca said. "Now that this happened, it doesn't seem real."
The race for the team title in Class 3A was captured by Edwardsville as the Tigers won their first by scoring 55 points. Cahokia earned its fifth straight Class 2A title, scoring a state-meet record 119 points.
The weekend was equal parts dream and nightmare for Barrington. The Broncos came to Charleston with high expectations, but saw those dampened when senior standout Scotty Miller injured his right hamstring in the prelims on Friday.
But instead of dwelling on the harsh twist of fate, the Broncos got right back up on the medal stand Saturday. In the finals of the 3,200 relay, the team of Konrad Eiring, Tyler Anderson, James Pirie and Andrew Gensburg battled to the very end before finishing third in a school-record time of 7:43.39. It was the third medal for Eiring in his three trips to state.
Prospect and its foursome of Mike Anderson, Matt Cozine, Luke Filipec and Greg Suarez raced to an eighth-place finish in the event in 7:51.23.
"We knew there were going to be fast guys out there and that we had to give it our all," the Illinois-bound Eiring said. "We went out, ran our best time - can't be disappointed with that."
In spite of his injury, Miller lined up in the finals of the 100-meter dash and raced one final time. Since he will head off to Bowling Green to play football next school year, the 100-meter dash was his final track race - and he survived it, a victory in itself, running 10.96 to finish eighth.
"I went through a lot in the last 24 hours, going from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows," Miller said. "It was tough ending my high school career like this - bittersweet, for sure."
Barrington got on the medal stand one last time, earning the first 400 relay medal in school history in a ninth-place finish. Logan Moews filled in admirably for Miller, joining Griffin Claes, Brendan Melynchuk and Terrance McGovern as the foursome ran 43.25.
It wasn't a perfect finish for Illinois State-bound Schaumburg senior Shandall Thomas, but he still closed out a highly decorated high school career with three more medals.
Thomas finished third in the 100-meter dash (10.60), and before that he helped the Saxons' 400 relay team of Jarman McMillon, Jack Wagner, and Danny Galovich place sixth in 42.33. That's the first 400 relay medal in Schaumburg's history.
Thomas closed out his career with an eighth-place finish in the 200-meter dash (21.95).
"With everything that happened this season, I am very grateful to finish this way," Thomas said. "It was great to get that relay medal as well - first time in school history."
Another first in school history came for Paul Ifianayi of Elk Grove. Ifianayi, who will join Thomas at Illinois State in the fall, made up for a tough race in the 300 hurdle prelims on Friday with a sensational finals race on Saturday.
His 37.82 clocking was a personal-best and earned him a runner-up finish. It marked the highest placement for Elk Grove in a hurdles race since John McCloughan finished second in the 120-yard hurdles in 1977.
"My coach told me to go after this or go home," Ifianayi said. "To run 37 like that is just amazing."
St. Viator had a pair of amazing performances in the Class 2A 300 hurdles, as senior Zach Gyuricza and junior Denzel Downing competed in the finals. Gyuricza ran sixth in 38.75 while Downing raced to an eighth-place finish in 40.72.
It's been a rough last few weeks for Conant senior Zach Dale. After battling through a virus that wore down the Illinois-bound Dale, he still had enough left in the tank to finish third in the 1,600-meter run in a time of 4:10.25.
"I went out and did everything I could," Dale said. "My best shot at winning was to go out hard like I did and I have no regrets with how I raced."
Buffalo Grove junior Kevin Salvano earned an eighth place medal in the 3,200-meter run, running 9:22.88.